Ongoing Translation Series: The Threefold Way of St. Bonaventure, Part VI

Donald P. Goodman III

The great saint Bonaventure wrote many powerful works, but one that I have seen rarely examined, and even more rarely (if ever) translated, is The Threefold Way, subtitled incendium amoris, The Fire of Love. This short work (only twenty-five pages in the Latin, much less with footnotes removed) explores the threefold spiritual life: the purgative, the illuminative, and the contemplative ways. This series will be an ongoing translation project, in which we will English the saint's nobly simple Latin, for the benefit of all.

It is ongoing, and thus is necessarily a draft; if something sounds funny, please consult the Latin! And then let me know if I've gotten something wrong.

This installment: the conclusion of the third chapter, on contemplation.

If this is new to you, start with Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV, and Part V, then return here.

§ 4 On the Seven Steps By Which One Comes to the Sweetness of Charity

6. The steps of coming to the sweetness of charity through the taking up of the Holy Spirit are these seven: an inciting watchfulness, an encouraging confidence, an inflaming longing, an uplifting excedence, an enabling pleasingness, a delighting joy, and a binding adherence; in which thou, who wishest to reach to the perfection of charity and to the love of the Holy Spirit, oughtst to progress in this order.

For it is necessary that watchfulness incite thee, on account of the promptness of the Spouse, to such a degree that thou canst say: O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day (Ps 62:2); and that of the Canticles: I sleep, and my heart watcheth (Ct 5:2); and that of the prophet: My soul hath desired thee in the night: yea, and with my spirit within me in the morning early I will watch to thee (Is 26:9).

Second, that confidence encourage thee, on account of the certainty of the Spouse, to such a degree that thou canst say: In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion (Ps 70:1); and from Job: Although he should kill me, I will trust in him (Job 13:15).

Third, that longing inflame thee because of the sweetness of the Spouse, to such a degree that thou canst say: As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after thee, O God (Ps 41:2); and that of the Canticles: for love is strong as death (Ct. 8:6), and because I languish with love (Ct. 2:5).

Fourth, that excedance uplift thee on account of the height of the Spouse, to such a degree that thou canst say: How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! (Ps 83:2); and that of the spouse: Draw me: we will run after thee, etc. (Ct. 1:3); and that of Job: So that my soul rather chooseth hanging (Job 7:15).

Fifth, that pleasingness enable thee on account of the beauty of the Spouse, to such a degree that thou canst say to that to the spouse: My beloved to me, and I to him; and that: My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands (Ct. 5:10).

Sixth, that joy delight thee on account of the fullness of the Spouse, to such a degree that thou canst say: According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul (Ps 93:19); and that: O how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord (Ps. 30:20); and that of the Apostle: I am filled with comfort: I exceedingly abound with joy, etc. (2Cor 7:4).

Seventh, that adherence bind thee, on account of the strength of the love of the Spouse, to such a degree that thou canst say: But it is good for me to adhere to my God (Ps. 72:28); and that: Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Rom. 8:35).

7. For in these steps there is an order, there is neither position before the last, nor does one come to it except through the intermediate steps and placed mutually among each other. And a consideration is strong in one, in the rest, following, the mood is dominated. For watchfulness considers, how honest, how fitting, how delightful it is to love God; and from this, just as the resulting trust bears longing, and that bears excedence, until it comes to the tie, and the kiss, and the embrace, to which it leads us, and so forth. Amen.

§ 5 Restatement

8. The aforesaid steps can be reduced to profit in this way. First, the steps of purgation are distinguished thus: blush on account of shame, tremble on account of justice, groan on account of loss, beg for help on account of the remedy, fight the incentive on account of the adversary; pant for martyrdom on account of the prize, approach to Christ on account of His overshadowing.

The steps pertaining to illumination are distinguished thus. Consider, who it is, who suffers, and believing take it captive; what sort it is who suffers, and suffering with Him, be made bitter; how great He is who suffered, and being stupified, wonder; for what cause He suffers, and trusting, give thanks; in what form He suffers, and following, be made like Him; how many things there are, which He suffers, and being enflamed, embrace Him; what leads to this, and understanding, contemplate it.

The steps of the unitive way are distinguished thus: watchfulness disturbs thee, on account of the promptness of the Spouse; trust strengthens thee, on account of His certainty; longing inflames thee, on account of His sweetness; excedence raises thee up, on account of His height; pleasingness enables thee, on account of His beauty; joy intoxicates thee, on account of the fullness of His love; adherence binds thee, on account of the strength of His love, that He might always say, with a soul devoted in its own heart to the Lord: I seek Thee, I hope in Thee, I desire Thee, I rise in Thee, I receive Thee, I exult in thee, and finally I adhere to Thee.